The Equal Play Billboard

Women make up almost 50% of all athletes. Yet, they receive only 4% of all sports media coverage.  As a brand that firmly supports gender equality and inclusivity, adidas set out to increase visibility for women athletes by launching an extraordinary stunt that would drive engagement for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

They started with a blank canvas on a massive beach located next to one of Qatar’s most iconic stadiums. Then adidas partnered with record-breaking sand artist Nathan Alapide, to create three blank 121×95 foot murals in the sand and shared a visual of them on social with a post that asked football fans one simple question: Who are the next football legends? Fans flooded the comment section with the names of popular players – all of whom were men.  

And then, the big reveal. During the peak of the men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup, adidas reminded everyone that the game has two halves by unveiling three highly detailed murals featuring Mary Fowler, Farah Jefry and Catarina Macario — three extraordinary football legends and women athletes. The fans and the media loved it!  

Impact:  

This distinct, artistic stunt successfully turned the world’s attention to female athletes during the largest men’s sporting event, generating +67% increase in FIFA Women’s World Cup website visits, 15 million total reach and +149% increase in online conversation. It was featured in multiple publications and could seen from above by all travelers and World Cup fans flying into two of Doha’s major airports.